Notes from Tech Runs (11/7 & 11/9)

Thank you all for your incredible focus and commitment throughout our Tech weekend. Between the tech run and our Act II work, your professionalism and energy is truly bringing this show to life! As we move into dress rehearsals, please continue to take care of yourselves: rest, hydrate, and stay healthy through these late nights. 

The overarching note for everyone is to stay sharp: pick up cues quickly, act on the lines rather than before, and keep making discoveries and bold choices. Every detail you bring helps the story shine. As always, please feel free to ask me any clarifications or questions on the below notes before tonight's run.

So excited for our first Dress Rehearsal tonight!

Josh

MOLAG: "Guess what you cave cushioned softies" is all one line, don't add internal beats or drag

ALL: Choreo walks are improving, remember to keep that energy whenever you are just walking in a song

"DARWIN" GROUP: Slower exit on Molag's line. Make it look intentional

JEMILLA: That entrance worked better for Great Debate, make sure to walk upstage of Chorn and Smelly-Balls so that you don't have to backtrack upstage by walking backwards during your peace-making.

SMELLY-BALLS: Less of a beat before "yes" in response to "Chorn". Act after the "yes" not before it.

TRIBE: Post great-debate stage picture static. Allow levels, more interesting body positions

JEMILLA/SMELLY-BALLS: Make sure to clearly state "you are well named Smelly-Balls" [beat] "Yes my balls smell". Remember the audience doesn't know his name and it is their first time hearing it

ZAZZALIL: At top of work to do, make it clear you're talking to Jemilla on not wanting to do the work today. Especially the end of your first phrase when you move SR towards her.

TRIBE: Check sways after "Hand in Hand", a touch slower (I think). Confirm with Sunny if unclear

MOLAG: Give space for laughs during Molagologues

ALL: Voices when you are upstage of proscenium need 30% more

ZAZZALIL: Don't stop on stairs for Keeri's "pluck a duck" line, enter all the way to Jemilla. It'll flow the entrance better.

ZAZZALIL: Lost line: "Eating something new"

ZAZZALIL: add a small beat before "the only thing I haven't figured out yet is how to kill"

ZAZZALIL: Pause for applause after What If?

ZAZZALIL: Solid monologue after "What If". It's really come along well.

ZAZZALIL: "That could kill you" clearer, its an important plot point

TRIBE: "Welcome to the Stone Age", whenever you say this line make sure it is 140% clear. 

CHORN/SMELLY-BALLS: Enter in transition after Stone Age, rather than staying on stage

DUCKER: Missed entrance before Joke. 

SCHWOOPSIE: Clarity and volume on your first saying "Schwoopsie" punchline.

EMBERLY: When eating the bad food before Just A Taste, gag because it's nasty, don't choke. 

EMBERLY: Lost line "its poison". 

EMBERLY: Remember to bring props at entrance after the Joke

EMBERLY/GRUNT: As the entrance music starts at top of "Just a Taste" allow something to change on stage. My first thought would be moving closer together and stepping away on that first line. 

EMBERLY/GRUNT: when you reach for each other's hands in "Just a Taste", elevate energy, its not fully reading.

JEMILLA: line clarity on "hoping he [Grunt] dies out there"

TIBLYN: line clarity on "huge slam on Emberly"

SCHWOOPSIE: attack Ducker after "Why does ducker get to sleep in the dry spot" not before. Act on the line.

DUCKER: "You don't have the guts", weird line reading? Check intention and clarity with this line

SMELLY-BALLS: unfortunately, you also have to drop when the sky falls. It's great that Chorn doesn't duck, but for that to read, everyone else has to.

JEMILLA: Great change to the "no" after Ducker's repenting line

SCHWOOPSIE: Line clarity "Whats the point in hard work"

Issac/Savanna: more on stage after Tribe meeting, your a bit too far SR for light

SMELLY-BALLS, enter stage once The Night Belongs to Snarl music starts

Issac: need "To go out at night", loosing text

SMELLY-BALLS/Dancers: Freeze at end of The Night Belongs To Snarl until applause wave ends. 

SMELLY-BALLS/TIBLYN/SCHWOOPSIE: Pick up cues in open mic night, less pausing before each line. Act on the line, not before.

SMELLY-BALLS: Stand and big for "Do my balls even smell?"

SCHWOOPSIE: lost line "Not that I have anything else to do"

August: Grumbling "we are all going to die" don't full volume

TRIBE: Screams can't overshadow lines when first meeting snarl

ZAZZALIL: Great toe tap when considering what to do

ZAZZALIL: Search for what she's talking about when Molag is doing "hot and cold"

ZAZZALIL: "We did defeat snarl", bigger

MOLAG: Exit at Tribe's lines, not Snarl's exit

TRIBE: When you enter the audience during "The Night Belongs to Us", remember to have pleasant faces, they can see you.

INTERMISSION

ALL: As you enter in "Climate Change" float on to the stage in wonder during the "ooooohs"

???: In "Climate Change" if you head up the stairs and don't get to place by time, make it look intentional and not rushed. 

SCHWOOPSIE, CHORN, Issac, August, Savanna: This is the group for "We don't got work to do if we don't want to that's the rule that Zazzy made up", please bring the lyrics out. 

DUCKER, SMELLY-BALLS ZAZZALIL: Need to do lift call before runs. 

ALL: At the end of "Climate Change" melt, then let applause finish before moving to Tribe positions

DUCKER, SCHWOOPSIE, Issac: One of you needs a flame after Climate Change. Probably from Vera?

CHORN: Don't touch the fire. Unlike the humans, you aren't that dumb. 

KEERI, ZAZZALIL: get closer together during the scene after Climate Change, there's an odd distance between you. KEERI go closer to ZAZZ (I think).

ZAZZALIL: "I like them too, they're delicious", cut off Keeri. 

KEERI, ZAZZALIL: allow the list which ends with "kills all the bees" to escalate. Zazz, cut her off.

ZAZZALIL: forbidding Jemilla is an idea which occurs to your during the scene, you did not preplan to start banning things, but its a solution which comes up (much like Jemilla before you).

JEMILLA: before "I should get used to this", find a purpose in why Jemilla is not talking yet, rather than just waiting for the musical interlude to finish. 

JEMILLA, DUCK: Note you have 10 measures for the duck scene, much more than the click track gives you.

CLARK, JEMILLA: The embrace should be warm. If it's not possible due to blocking, let us know so we can modify. 

EMBERLY, GRUNT: reminder the rocks have weight. Don't just drop them. 

GRUNT: reminder "Its fine" always means "I love you"

EMBERLY stronger lick, needs to read to back of house

GRUNT: check lines for Embly/Emily and which is which

GRUNT: hand (or almost hand) the completed painting before final verse of "Paint Me" (before you fix the eyes)

TRIBE: when entering with fire, be in character or looking at the path you walk like an actual torch. The fire illuminates you, so we need to be in the world. 

DUCKER: really convince the Tribe to support appointing you back to your privilege. Bigger, especially on "I don't think I've given anyone a reason to mistrust me"

SCHWOOPSIE: getting a touch over prop-y with the torch on the "do you want me to light your head on fire". Just keep it a touch less clown-y.

DUCKER: react to your head burning

EMBERLY: give some time before your first line after the village burns. Let the rest of the Tribe enter before that first line. 

SMELLY-BALLS: pick up cues throughout  

KEERI: Volume on "Jemilla was right", needs to be forward

ZAZZALIL: Make sure you have a prop stick to light on fire after the village has burned

DUCKER: less of a beat when you smell the fire painting

CLARK: lost "retracing your steps" line

ZAZZALIL: "what are you doing here with this Tribe" less internal beats, quicker delivery

NEANDERTHALS, JEMILLA: allow lines to cross into/out of intimacy for better flow

NICOLE: enter onto stage more before the hair flip.

JEMILLA: no pause before "you want to know the best things about my husband"

NICOLE "diving with me" lost the line

NEANDERTHALS: your Mics are hot throughout the whole Neanderthal scene. Note that we can hear you if you or others are talking near you off-stage.

CLARK, JEMILLA: kiss needs sound

ZAZZALIL, JEMILLA: great progress on Together. At the top of the song, when the music starts, look into one another's eyes lovingly during the music intro. Remember to continue to send energy to one another the whole song with that playful energy.

TRIBE: pick up cues in cave scene, the energy should be spinning up with trying to pull off this plan right next to the scariest thing you have ever seen.

GRUNT: make sure the audience can see you arm which has been eaten off. Don't have it go upstage.

KEERI: "Can I touch him" line lost

EMBERLY: "Grab his legs" take that line earlier, the pause I previously have you is funky

SNARL: allow yourself to move a bit during the first sleeping a la a resting housecat.

SNARL: Act the Rawrs. You'll need to review the sounds effect deck. 

CHORN: missed entrance. Work with costuming if you need a quicker place to change.

CHORN: line volume before Song. We are level setting your mic with singing volume, so you need to be quite full with that monologue before. 

CHORN: line lost "I can't do feet"

TIBLYN: the sneaky entrance did not work during the marriage proposal. We'll need you there before the music shift, or after, or maybe less on stage? Chat with me if you do not have an idea how to alter.

Issac: more SR on the Cave platform during the TIBLYN solo.